DeWine on death of Columbus Blue Jacket Johnny Gaudreau: 'A horrible, horrible tragedy'
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday made his first in-person statement about the death of Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, who died Thursday alongside his brother after a suspected drunk driver struck them.
"It's just a horrible, horrible tragedy. That's all we can say," the governor said during a press conference Tuesday. "You know, our heart goes out to the family members. The circumstances, when I first heard, it's like, 'Oh, my God.' This is just hard to fathom, for that one family suffers so very much in one moment."
DeWine previously commented on Gaudreau's death via a Friday post on X.
'We love you Johnny Hockey': Fans of Blue Jackets, NHL react to Johnny Gaudreau death
Gaudreau, nicknamed "Johnny Hockey," joined the Blue Jackets in 2022 and was the team's top scorer for the two seasons he played for Ohio's capital city.
Gaudreau's sudden death shocked the sports world, eliciting statements of mourning from legions of fans, sports legends like LeBron James, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the NHL and more.
Gaudreau, 31, and his brother, Matthew, 29, died while cycling in Oldmans Township, New Jersey Thursday night after a suspected drunk driver hit the brothers while attempting to pass them.
The driver of the vehicle, Sean Higgins, 41, of Woodstown, New Jersey, was arrested and faces numerous criminal charges in the incident. Higgins is expected to make his next court appearance Thursday.
Sean Higgins' background: Driver in suspected DUI crash that killed Blue Jackets' Gaudreau worked in addiction rehab
The Gaudreau brothers were to appear in their sister's wedding as groomsmen Friday, according to a post on a popular wedding website. Johnny Gaudreau leaves behind his daughter, Noa, his son, Johnny, and his wife, Meredith.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jacket Gaudreau's death 'hard to fathom,' DeWine says
